EĪd mubārak

Bajram Šerif Mubarek Olsun

- “Hey pal… did you know they canceled Zdravko Čolić concert?”
Taxi driver snapped out of boredom when he heard this, raised conspiratorially his right eyebrow and he took a look at the passenger at the back seat through the indoor mirror. It was a rainy day before Eid, he was not in the mood, but this info snapped him out of boring day at the road and his ear turned into antenna just like ones in vast deserts of Nevada where Yanks hunt for all sorts of possible extra-terrestrial forms of living beings.
On this info, even I couldn’t stay apathetic, so I turned back from co-driver seat towards the friend at the back seat.
- “Really? How come?”
- “How the hell should I know? Word is on the street. Organization screwed something up as usual. It’s not final yet, however Čola could cancel the concert because they haven’t fulfilled all the terms. Some problems with money as usual. It was on the radio as well…”
- “Hm… Zdravo Čolić canceled Sarajevo concert… miles of woman will be disappointed.” – I said, taxi driver wasn’t still in the mood with one difference – he was carefully listening us this time.
- “Yeah, yeah…” – said friend at the back seat and story ended there.
Wet road in front of us, silence fulfilled with thinking.
Silence was broken with voice of dispatcher:
- “Vehilce 2-0-5, Franc Lehar street number 6. Vehilce 2-0-5, Franc Lehar street number 6….” …

Eid evening, three of us playing cards.
“On the table empty glasses, there’s no rakija” – from speaker of boom-box sings late Dražen Ričl.
I took a look at the table – empty glasses.
- “Do we have any rakija left?” – I ask
- “Hell yeah. Look under the table.”
I poured clear liquid from half a liter bottle of Jamnica, and then passed the bottle to a friend.
I dropped the card on the table and waited for the move of a friend who poured rakija in glass over table spoon with honey.
- “Well pal…” – I said to him wile waiting him to finish making his drink and answer my call – “What’s with the Čola’s concert?”
Meanwhile he finished with pouring, so he raised the glass:
- “Come on friend, let’s salute…”
While saluting I whised him a merry holiday
- “Happy Eid”
Friend frowned his face after he drunk shot of honey-rakija and said:
- “Ooooo… to sweet… Never mind… So… What about Čola’s concert?”
- “Word is on the street that it will be canceled….”
- “That’s what I told you yesterday in a cab.”
- “Yeah, I knew I heard it somewhere. Why are the canceling it?”
- “They aren’t. This is just disinformation I said in a cab. The best way to start a gossip is to tell something to the cab drivers. Did you just see how his ear turned into antenna? I bet whole town is talking about it.” – he laughed at the end, pulled a card and answered my call.
- “Brilliant gag.” – I said to him taking yet another shot of rakija while he was still smiling about it. Third player was making a face while thinking how to play and I was jealous because I wasn’t one how pulled this gag.
Crvena Jabuka was still coming from the speakers of boom-box
Then we remember you
In worm nights
When old singer
Your tune plays
And sings…

EĪd mubārak - common greeting during the Muslim holiday of Eid

Bajram Šerif Mubarek Olsun - Turkish greeting for Eid, used also in Bosnia

Zdravko Čolić (Čola) - Yugoslav singing star

Dražen Ričl - first singer of "Crvena Jabuka"

Jamnica - famous Croatian mineral water brand

Crvena Jabuka - famous Bosnian pop-rock band, meaning "Red Apple"

First time published at Jimblog under the title "Bajram barčula", on 13th of October, 2007 AD